What do they look in a candidate?

Question

Before i used to think that tools like excel, tableau, alteryx are important for consultants, especially for getting a job, but later I figured out that's not the case, as a consultant you're not expected to know these skills during the interview, infact you'll be provided training for it.

So my question is, what do they look in a candidate during an interview?

Any skills ,qualities or abilities

Answer 1

Hi Guneet,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

First of all, most consulting firms specify the skills and traits they’re looking for in candidates on their websites. Therefore, I would advise you to look there for your target consulting firms.
Moreover, the skills and traits don’t differ a lot across consulting firms, as they are all essentially trying to assess how well you will do the job in the first couple of years.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi Guneet,

You are 100% right those skills are not measured in an interview and not even that important to have them to begin with.

The best way (longer, but it will make sense) to think about what skills are assessed during an interview is … which skills does a consultant need to do their job?

If you are interested in consulting, I would encourage you to get an understanding of what the consulting job really is about, what people do day to day at this job >> this will provide you with a 90% answer of what is needed in an interview. The 10% being that, for practical reasons, the interview is a “condensed” assessment of an actual consulting project, therefore you would need to know some of the practicalities of solving a case study for example.

I am sure other coaches have written great articles about this exact topic, so I won't make now a list of consulting skills, but I will just give you two examples to illustrate the point:

Problem solving - consultants are “hit” with some of the toughest problems their clients face. For each client, and for each project, this problem will be different, so single answer. Instead, consultants need to be able to solve reasonably well problems they pretty much see on the spot using logic and common business sense >> this is exactly what is tested in case interviews
Communication - it is not enough to solve a problem for a client, you need to be able to communicate the solution in a way that is helpful for them. Naturally, this is something that will be also tested during an interview: can you express your conclusions in a concise, structured manner?

As mentioned, this is not an extensive list of skills, but rather an illustration on how to think about approaching preparation for a consulting interview.

Hope this was helpful,

Ariadna

Answer 3

Hi,

Great question - these abilities and qualities are mentioned on the respective firms websites. You can check them out for what each firm says they look out for.

There are of course common themes - e.g. Problem solving, quantitative thinking, leadership/teamwork, ability to influence people etc.

Answer 4

Hi there,

Your skills will be evaluated during the case and fit interviews:

Roughly, this is what is evaluated:

Problem-solving
Analytics
Creativity
Quant
Communication
Business sense and judgement
Maturity and presence

I have written book on the topic called The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview, where I dive deep into each of these dimensions, define them and show you how to prepare for them. Feel free to check it out on Amazon.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 5

Great question! Here’s what they typically look for in a candidate during a consulting interview:

Problem-Solving: Consultants face tough, unique challenges on every project. Your ability to logically and effectively tackle these problems is a core skill tested in case interviews.
Communication: It’s not just about solving the problem; you need to communicate your solution clearly and concisely, making it accessible and actionable for clients.
Core Skills: While tools like Excel and Tableau aren't required at the interview stage, qualities like analytical thinking, creativity, business judgment, and leadership are key. These are often evaluated through both case and fit interviews.

Lastly, I'd recommend checking the specific skills your target firms highlight on their websites, as the core competencies are fairly consistent across the industry.

Good luck with your preparation!